Serving true ethnic dishes at lunch can become a conduit for education while adding diversity to your menus.

The name of Korean Bibimbap means “mixed rice,” which is a pretty good description. A bowl is loaded with rice at the bottom and topped with a selection of goodies that are laid out to look like jewels floating on the white rice bed.

Bibimbap is only about a century old, but it derives from Goldongban, a dish involving the same concept (a bowl of rice with vegetables, meat and sauce mixed in), which is far older, emerging sometime during the Joseon Period (14th-16th centuries). Goldongban had a ritualistic, and potluck, component to it. It was eaten on the eve of the lunar new year, allowing people to clear out their pantries at the year’s end, throwing whatever was left over into their rice bowls, tossing it together, and considering it dinner.

Nutrition Facts

100 servings per container

Serving Size1 cup

Amount per serving

Calories200

% Daily Value*

Total Fat4.6 g5.9%

Saturated Fat0.95 g4.75%

Trans Fat0 g

Cholesterol25.04 mg8.35%

Sodium445 mg19.35%

Total Carbohydrate31.48 g11.45%

Dietary Fiber3.47 g12.39%

Protein9.47 g18.94%

Calcium146 mg11.23%

Iron2.22 mg12.33%

Vitamin A2505 mcg278.33%

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)10.43 mg11.59%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.